"He's gonna be here in five minutes." Sehun stated as he ended the phone call.

"Alright guys everything's in place, right?" Jongin asked, looking around the decorated room. They had booked the event space at Luhan's favorite coffee place to throw him his going away party. The boys worked all day to decorate the room all by themselves and as unprofessional as it looked, it was at least characteristic to them. They knew the boy would appreciate the effort anyway. What stood out most was a huge sign hung in the middle of the room that read "GOODBYE LULU DEER T_T".

The boys took their places in the room as Sehun left to get Luhan. He smiled once he saw the elder walking up to the coffee shop, hands stuffed in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Hey hyung." Sehun greeted as he threw an arm around his shoulders. 

"Hi."

"Thanks for coming today." Sehun said as he led them through the coffee shop, "I know you must have been really busy since your flight's gonna be tomorrow."

"That's okay," The elder smiled, "I'm already done packing anyway. Eh, where are we going?" Luhan frowned when he saw they were walking out the backdoor of the coffee shop.

"You'll see." Sehun smiled, stopping in front of the door where the party was going to be held. He turned the knob and within the split of a second, a loud shout of "SURPRISE!" rang out through the place. Luhan blinked, taking in the sight of all his friends standing there, holding up posters and grinning widely at him, while Sehun just stood to the side with a smile on his face.

They were all there. Jongin, Minseok, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Kris, and a dozen others who were also his good friends and some members from the dance club, too. They all clapped, waiting for him to react but all he could do was stand there and gape unattractively.

Sehun extended his hand out for Luhan, "Come on, hyung." 

Shakily, Luhan placed the palm of his hand into Sehun's and the latter led him into the room where all his friends stood, still smiling at him. He couldn't help the tear that slipped out of his eye at the sight of everyone. He was so overwhelmed with emotions at that moment, partly because he was leaving and was probably not going to see all these people again, and partly because he never thought they all would be able to be united together under one roof again as friends, just like they did back before the fight with Jongin.

"You guys..."

Jongin smiled and stepped forward, engulfing the shorter boy into a warm hug. "We're gonna miss you." He murmured. Luhan let go of Sehun's hand to hug the brunette back, tears slipping out of his eyes.

"Aw please don't cry, Lu." Baekhyun wiped the boys tears with his thumbs, "It's your last day here! You're supposed to be having fun!"

"I know... I'm sorry." Luhan pulled away from the hug to wipe at his tears and look at everyone else, "I seriously can't believe you guys did all this... I'll never forget you guys." He tried his best to hold his tears back as he turned to Sehun, "And you too, Sehun. I'll never forget you."

Sehun couldn't help the big smile that stretched across his face, "And I'll never forget you either, Hyung."

"Okay before we all start crying like little es, let's get this party started!" Jongin exclaimed, clapping his hands to break the tension in the air. 

"Ooh! Guess what we bought!" Chanyeol grinned as he held up a few bags filled with bottles of soju. Everyone in the room began to cheer excitedly and Luhan laughed softly along with them.

Once the crowd dispersed, Sehun grabbed Jongin's arm and glared at him, "You didn't tell me there would be alcohol."

Jongin rolled his eyes, "That's because it's a ing given, Sehun. It's a party. What are we, twelve?"

"I'm underage, just so you know." Sehun stated, pointing at himself.

"So am I," Jongin shrugged, "Come on, it's not that big of a deal. And you don't have to drink if you don't want to."

Sehun wondered two hours later how he found himself in the midst of a bunch of drunk high school kids dancing inappropriately to absurdly loud music. He sat in the corner of the room, scrunching his face up whenever the music went a little too loud for him. Everyone else was having the time of their lives, including Luhan who was bouncing along to the song that was playing and chatting with his friends. He didn't seem too drunk, though. A few girls who were there tried to invite Sehun up to dance with them but he politely declined. He didn't really mean to be some sort of party pooper but he genuinely didn't enjoy this kind of stuff. Sighing, he decided to leave the room for a bit since the loud music was starting to give him a headache. 

He shoved his hands down his pockets as he stood in the small garden at the back of the coffee shop. He could still hear the blasting music but it wasn't anywhere near as loud. If anything, accompanied with the cold air, it was almost soothing.

"Hey." Luhan appeared suddenly, walking up to the taller boy, "I saw you leave earlier."

"It's just a little too noisy in there for me." Sehun scratched the back of his neck, laughing softly, "Go enjoy the party, Hyung."

"Frankly it's a little too noisy for me too. I'll go in in a bit."

"Oh... Okay." Sehun closed his eyes and sighed as Luhan stood next to him.

"You and Jongin planned this, right?"

"Well it was mostly Jongin's idea." Sehun shrugged.

"Well I'm still grateful to you for being involved anyway." Luhan laughed softly, "You know? I really feel at ease now. I never thought things would ever go back to normal, that I would ever be able to laugh and joke with them like I did before. I wouldn't have ever wished for anything more."

Sehun smiled, "I'm glad everything's alright now. That you can leave happily with good memories."

"I'm glad too. Thank you for everything, Sehun-ah."

"Don't thank me, hyung. You were always there for me, too." Sehun turned his head to look at the elder, "Am I ever gonna see you again?"

Luhan pressed his lips together, "I... don't know."

Sehun sighed sadly, scratching the back of his neck, "I'm gonna miss you a lot, hyung. We didn't know each other for that long but... I want you to know that you mean a lot to me."

Luhan smiled sadly and placed a hand on Sehun's shoulder, "So do you, Sehun-ah. But it's not like this is the end. We can still chat and Skype call from time to time. Just promise me you never stop doing what you love."

Sehun nodded, "I promise."

The younger boy felt his heart rate picking up as he stared into Luhan's big sparkly eyes, until his eyes unconciously went down to his pink lips. All he could think about right now was kissing the elder. He had imagined it in his head before but it never felt so easy and so within reach as it did now. Mustering up the courage, he stepped closer so he was now completely facing him.

"S-Sehun?" Luhan whispered, a little taken aback as the taller boy cupped his cheek and leaned in closer. 

"Hyung, can I kiss you?" Sehun asked softly, gently caressing the elder's cheek. He thought, what was there to lose? Luhan was leaving anyway. He wanted to at least know how it felt. The thought that he was giving up his first kiss for another guy sounded crazy to him but if it was Luhan, he was more than willing to even throw it at him.

Luhan's breath hitched at the close proximity but he placed a hand on Sehun's chest, gently pushing him away.

"Don't... You'll end up hurting me and yourself." Luhan whispered. Sehun sighed and dug his face into the crook of the elder's neck, breathing him in.

"Hyung... I really like you." He confessed, tightening his hands around the front of Luhan's shirt.

"I like you too, Sehun. But not in that way..."

The younger boy couldn't help but feel disappointed. But all he could do now was enjoy the closeness of his hyung, the heat that radiated off his skin, his scent. All he could do was savor this moment while it lasted.

"Sehun-ah..." Luhan sighed as he put both his hands around the younger's face, pulling him away from his shoulder so he could look into his eyes, "I'm leaving tomorrow. Don't do this to yourself. You'll find someone else someday and they'll make you forget all about me."

"Then at least just let me hold you. Just for a bit..."

Luhan gave the younger a small smile, "Okay."

Sehun placed both his hands on Luhan's waist, almost timidly, and pulled him closer, resting his chin on his shoulder. They stood there like that for a while, neither was sure how long, but it was soothing for both of them. It was like a moment of peace, two people simply enjoying the company and the closeness of one another.

"Thank you for liking me, Sehun-ah... I... No one ever liked me before. I'm so sorry I have to break your heart like this."

"It's not your fault, hyung. You can't choose who you can have feelings for, nor can you force feelings for someone. And there's no point now anyway..."

"But you'll always be my favorite dongsaeng." Luhan ruffled his hair affectionately as he pulled away from the embrace.

"Hyung... If you weren't leaving... If you were staying here... Would you ever like me back?" 

Luhan seemed to be deep in thought before smiling and tucking a few loose strands of hair off Sehun's face, "Maybe."

Meanwhile, Jongin watched from a distance, hands tightening around the cup of bubble tea he bought for Sehun. He had seen the younger leave the room earlier and sensing that he might have been uncomfortable, he went into the cafe to buy him his favorite bubble tea. Only when he returned, he saw the two males standing a little too close for his liking in what looked like an intimate embrace. He didn't know why but the scene annoyed him to no ends. He first assumed that maybe he was just not used to seeing two guys being so close but then realized no... that's not it. All he wanted is for them to not be standing so damn close to each other. Like, whatever happened to private space?

He wasn't sure why, but he was pissed off and didn't feel like talking or even looking at either of the two guys for the rest of the night. With that, he threw the cup of bubble tea into a nearby trash can and got back into the party. He tried to distract himself by dancing with a few girls and alcohol and it worked well to some extent, but there was still that nagging feeling at the back of his mind. 

However, he made sure not to drink too much since he still had to drive Sehun back home that night. After they wrapped up the party and everyone said their goodbyes, the two tall males got into Jongin's car and left the place. Sehun noticed that the brunette was unusually silent but he decided not to prod, assuming he was probably just tired.

* * *

Sehun rested his arm against the door as he stared out the window while Jongin drove them back home. They had just dropped Luhan off at the airport and said their goodbyes. Nothing really out of the ordinary happened, just a few close friends came to hug him goodbye for the last time. No tears were shed. Some looked like they wanted to but they held it in.

The atmosphere in the car was gloomy to say the least. Sehun was obviously saddened by his Hyung's departure and so was Jongin. Neither spoke a word since they got into the car.

"So..." Jongin started, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." The blonde replied monotonously, still staring out the window. 

"Honestly, I'm still finding it hard to process all this. I feel even more like now. I didn't even get enough time to properly compensate for the past year and a half."

"I'm sure Luhan-hyung already forgave you. There's no point beating yourself up over it anymore." Sehun sighed, "But yeah, it does feel a little weird. It's like it all ended just as suddenly as it started."

Jongin nodded in agreement. The two fell into silence again but surprisingly enough, this time Sehun was the one to break it.

"Did you know that Luhan-hyung was the reason I even accepted your offer in the first place?"

"Really?" Jongin tilted his head to the side.

"Yeah. He was the one that encouraged me to go for it."

Jongin spared Sehun a short glance, "Do you regret it though?"

"No... I don't. There's been ups and downs but I don't regret anything at all." Jongin thought he saw a smile on the younger's face.

"That's great. I'm glad you got to know him. Not because it benefited me but you as well." Jongin smiled, "Hey... I want you to know that even though Luhan left, you're not alone. I'm still here."

"I feel very assured," Sehun said with a sigh.

The brunette rolled his eyes, already used to the younger's mean sarcasm. But it was simply one of the things that made Sehun... Sehun. Pressing his lips together, he remembered what he saw last night. Sehun's hands on Luhan's waist, standing so close their chests were almost touching. Every time the picture flashed in his mind, he would feel that surge of uneasiness in his stomach, and he still wasn't sure why. Whatever reason it was, he felt a little guilty for having given the two boys the cold shoulder the previous night for some stupid feeling he couldn't even put his finger on. But now, he really felt like asking Sehun about it. And Jongin was about as good at shutting his damn mouth as Dora the Explorer.

"So I was on my way to take a leak when I stumbled upon a rather interesting scene yesterday." He started, lying about the first bit because he obviously didn't want Sehun knowing about the fact that he bought him bubble tea but ended up throwing it away in a fit of God-knows-what.

Sehun looked at Jongin with his usual bored eyes, and the latter already knew by now that meant he was listening.

"I saw you getting a little touchy-feely with a certain someone."

Sehun's eyebrows rose up in amusement, "Oh?"

"Mind giving me the details?" Jongin wiggled his eyebrows at the blonde, "I'm almost offended you didn't come report to immediately. I thought I was your matchmaker."

Sehun scrunched his face up, "Since when?"

"Since you confessed to me about your little crush. Well, what are you waiting for? Spill, hoe."

"Go yourself." Sehun went back to pretending there was something very interesting outside his window.

"Well at least tell me this- did you guys kiss?" Jongin wasn't sure why he was asking Sehun this but he just needed to know. 

"And what if we did?" Sehun lifted a brow challengingly.

Jongin froze. What if they did? He wasn't sure either. But the thought of it being true made his stomach twist unpleasantly. 

"I don't know. I'm just curious. I mean if you did then, cool for you, bro! That's great! How was it?" Jongin was still asking. At this point he wanted to shoot himself. The topic was obviously uncomfortable for both of them but he was still probing like the idiot he was.

Sehun sighed, "We didn't. We were just hugging."

"O...Oh. That's uh, unfortunate. " For some reason Jongin was relieved to hear that. "Hey... Would you like me to treat you to some bubble tea? Just to cheer you up." The brunette found the need to compensate for that poor cup of bubble tea he threw away he previous night.

"Nah... I'm good."

Jongin gasped, "Oh Sehun just rejected bubble tea?!" He clutched at his heart dramatically, "That's when you know 's real."

"Gosh Jongin I just don't feel like it right now."

"No no no. Bubble tea is exactly what you need right now. And whatever happened to calling me hyung?"

Sehun rolled his eyes, "That was a one time spur-of-the-moment thing. Don't get used to it."

"Should have figured." Jongin snickered, "Anyways, we're gonna go to your favorite bubble tea place and you're gonna stop being a moody . End of discussion."

"Ugh, fine." Sehun sighed in frustration, "The only reason I'm agreeing so easily is because I'm just really not in the mood for arguing with you right now."

It annoyed Jongin how so many things didn't seem to phase Sehun in the slightest, yet now he was so affected since Luhan left. Sehun was always moody, no doubt about that, but there was something different about him now. There was sadness in his eyes, it was difficult to make out, but it was definitely there. Sure, Jongin was sad too; after all, he and the shorter male have come a long way. But the sadness in Sehun's eyes was that of a person who had lost someone they absolutely adored.

What is it that's so special about Luhan?

It was a stupid question, really. Luhan was everything Jongin wasn't. He had a big heart, he was kind, friendly and always willing to throw everything behind him to help a friend. He remembered that precisely about Luhan- he was like a pure soul, almost like an angel. But now he couldn't help but feel envious of him. 

Maybe it was because he knew about everything Sehun had been through, or maybe he wanted to prove that he could bring a smile to the younger's face just like Luhan did, simply because of his tendency to want to be better than everyone else, or maybe he just wanted to keep the promise he made his mother. But whatever the reason was, he desperately wanted to remove that sadness from Sehun's eyes.

Do you guys know that smile you have on your face after you walk out of an exam that says "I'm so ed"? Yeah, I had that smile today after my Biology exam. And to celebrate this wonderful occasion, here's an update xD.

Luhan's finally gone! Woohoo! More Sekai whaddup.

(Sorry I'm a horrible person but chances are, so are you)

Lol I almost hate myself for how cliche and unrealistic this is becoming but hey, it's called fiction for a reason, amirite? ;) Plus I'm too inexperienced a writer to go for something more 'realistic' but maybe I'll do that some time in the future when I actually know how to write a proper freakin' sentence.

BY THE WAY OMG WE HIT 225 SUBCRIBERS LIKE WHAAAAAAAAAT? THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! I'm honestly kinda scared I'll end up disappointing you guys in the end T_T

But really guys I know how frustrated you must have been since in literally every SeKai story I read, the action starts like two chapters in and I'm here dragging things on for the last thirteen chapters (I'm so sorry, it had to be done for the plot) and yet you guys STILL stuck with this story. Like is this actually good? I don't even know.

So yeah, as a reward for the long- wait I'm making you all go through, I promise you, right here, right now, cross my heart, there shall be Sekai at the end of this story (Doesn't take a genius to figure out they're gonna end up together but oops spoiler alert sorry lol). It'll be my first time writing it and it'll be awkward as but IT SHALL BE DONE.

Look forward to it ;)